And that would be a sufficient answer if this was a normal political forum. This is ATS. For years a large majority of our members have expressed
their discontent at the two party system. Or members have always been held to a higher standard. So why change now?

As I mentioned earlier, when the 9/11 forum for toxic the hammer was dropped. To this day there are strict rules placed on that forum. So people
aren't allowed to become overly passionate about 3000 dead but we should permit allowances so people can argue which team is better?

Once again, my point is that the Mud Pit does not represent the spirit that ATS was founded on. Is the motto of ATS still Deny Ignorance? If yes, does
the Mud Pit serve any purpose in achieving that goal?

I don't see Deny Ignorance as a motto, to be slung around as a forum 'Heil ATS'er' salute. To me, its a state of mind to embrace that WHILE perousing
content even in the Mud Pit or anywhere at all to be ever cognizant. ATS'ers by and large do that every single day on here....Deny Ignorance is not
tantamount to 'please stop me from seeing things I don't want to see' but in seeing things you don't want to see so that we know how to establish
dialog against those things.

I'm aware I can avoid forums. I've been here for almost 9 years and there's definitely forums I've never posted in. Hell, I've avoided the UFO forum
for close to five years and that's the initial reason I joined. My issue is that the ATS I joined had strict guidelines on posts. Those guidelines
seemingly don't apply whatsoever to the Mud Pit. The ATS I joined required at least some form of intelligent thought. The Mud Put apparently allows
posts entirely comprised of emojis. From where I'm standing that does nothing to advance ATS' mission statement.

Free Speech is what makes America the Greatest Country on Earth . Debating Issues in an Unrestricted Forum is the Only way to have People's Voices
Heard whether you Agree with their Opinions or Not . The Mud Pit will Always Serve that Purpose . I say Keep it Holy .

ATS, like every other entity that seeks to exist in 2016, has to accommodate ALL those who come through its virtual doors with the good intentions of
discussing current events, sharing ideas, collaborating, and passing on knowledge. We have learned over these past decades that the best way to
accommodate those who seek to sling political mud is to allow them one secluded spot in which to do so.

The payoff I don't think you're seeing is that many of those same members create interesting and poly-topical content in the other areas of the site.
It's actually a win-win.

With regard to the "standards" you bring up, the standards are as dynamic as human interactions are, they have to be. That's why we have varying
degrees of standards enforcement in varying forums.

That said, what is not dynamic or variable is the TAC. The TAC is bedrock that has allowed ATS to thrive all these years, it is only so flexible as
needed to allow things like the pit to exist. But even in the pit the TAC rule supreme.

(post by Riffrafter removed for a serious terms and conditions violation)

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